Miami Heat Win 98-94 Over 76ers, Streak Now At 20

The Miami Heat won 98-94 over the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday for their 20th straight win. LeBron James scored 27 points for the Heat and added seven rebounds and eight assists in the win.

The Heat took a 12-point lead into the half before the 76ers went on 16-8 run to start the third quarter. The 76ers had cut the Heat’s lead to just five points going into the fourth.

Dwyane Wade scored off a tip-in from a LeBron James miss with 30 seconds left in the game to preserve the victory for the Heat. Wade finished the game with 21 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.

Ray Allen contributed 12 points off the bench and shot 50 percent from behind the arc. Allen drained a 3-pointer with about five minutes remaining in the game to give the Heat an 89-86 lead.

The 76ers stuck with the Heat all night, and it took everything to put them away in the fourth quarter. Thaddeus Young led the 76ers with 24 points and 15 rebounds in the loss.

Jrue Holiday finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists for the 76ers while Evan Turner added 15 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Dorell Wright scored 13 points off the bench for Philadelphia and helped the team close on Miami in the fourth quarter.

The 76ers have lost three games to the Heat during Miami’s 20-game win streak. Philadelphia will take on the Indiana Pacers Saturday and hope to get back on track after losing their last seven games of February and 6-of-8 games to start March.

LeBron James is the NBA’s reigning MVP, and he looks to be the front-runner again after posting great numbers to start the season. James has never been apart of a win streak like this and recognized his team after the game.

“We’ve just been resilient,” James said about his team. “This is another gutty win for us being the second out of a back-to-back.”

The Heat played the night before in a 98-81 win over the Atlanta Hawks, which may shed some light on why they never were able to put away the 76ers. Philadelphia stuck with the Heat down to the final minutes of the game as fatigue set in for the Heat who played their third game in four days Wednesday.

The Heat have a much needed day-off Thursday before a meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. The Heat’s 20-game winning streak in one season is tied for the third best ever. The Houston Rockets won 22 straight in 2007-08, and the Los Angeles Lakers won 33 straight in 1971-72.

Having the most talent in the NBA is one thing, but taking that talent and getting better every night on the court is another. The Miami Heat win a tight one over the Philadelphia 76ers and have practically walked away with the Eastern Conference.